A sing-along site

Here is a site out of the Netherlands that has a large number of songs arranged for a play-along mode.  Select the tuning key -- C, or G for the baritone.  (D, is also available but most of us do not use that option).  Click on a song, click on Open and then the start icon.   You will see a video of someone(or a group) doing the song, a lower bar scrolling along with the vocals and the chords, along with a fretboard with the fingering positions showing the chords that should be played at that time.

I found this site a long time ago but I just looked at all the songs and they have really enlarged the song list.

Going over some of these songs is great fun and educational as well.  One thing that is good -- not all the songs are in the key of C!  Check it out.

For future convenience, I have added a link to this site in the Handy Links section.


http://www.ukuleleplayalong.nl/#

For raw beginners ----

Here is a gent from Mississippi that is a very good guitar player offering suggestions for beginners.  Raw beginners.  But there are some gems in here for everyone.

Have a few smiles, learn a bit too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maIpJ3n2vx0

Rex is highlighted here

The host of Humble Baritonics has just posted one of the videos of Rex in his web page.  Check out Rex on his baritone doing this song, one of the many that he posts almost weekly.

http://humblebaritonics.blogspot.com/

The site is a good one for those interested in the baritone uke and the variety of different tunings that this longer scale ukulele can provide.

The Music Shop has received a number of Mahalo ukes, mostly the highly decorated ones with smiley faces and the like.  So if you know anyone interested in a cheapie, or maybe to use as a wall hanger, you might check them out.

Workshop report

Rex and KR report that the attendance at the workshop on Saturday the 20th at Saied Music was well attended -- 28 folks showed up, with a wide range of ages, some from some distance from Tulsa.  There was interest in future workshops expressed.  We may have something going here.

Weekend meeting -- should we plan one?

At this time we have about four meetings a month, but always on weeknights.  This precludes a fair fraction of the local uke world from participating if they are occupied during the evenings with work or family.

I hosted a meeting a few months ago on a Sunday afternoon and it was not well received.  Maybe it was a lack of extra promotion for the special event, maybe Sunday afternoon was not good, maybe it was just the wrong day -- I don't know, but it was not popular.

But maybe the club should entertain looking at a weekend event again.  The Oklahoma folks meet on a Saturday evening,  The extremely popular Dallas club has club meetings on Tuesday evenings and on Saturdays.  Sometimes  the Saturday meetings are in the afternoon, sometimes in the evening and their "beginners" sessions are on a Saturday morning.  So that suggests that a Saturday could be a popular day.

Give me some feedback.  Does this have any appeal?

Ralph

A busy man today

Rex has been busy today.  First thing this morning he and his Dulcimer Magic group performed at the Sand Springs festival and then he led the ukulele workshop at Saied Music.

Rambling along

I was just rambling along this morning and I wondered if one could come up with a story about the different size ukes. Here is my take.

Soprano. Like a young girl, lively, full of fun and optimism, but not yet fully developed. Young, bright voice.

Concert. A young lady, with all the proper traits, sometimes dressed out with a lot of bling, but not yet fully mature. Voice is getting a bit more mature.

Tenor. A matured woman, confident, willing to be seen and heard, sometimes bright and gay (high g) and sometimes a bit dark (low g) depending on the mood. Can be in the spotlight with or without a lot of bling or be happy in solitude.

Baritone. The male figure in this family. Generally best kept in the background in a support role but willing to star when needed.

What is yours?

Kimo Hussey is a great teacher

Kimo has been to the Dallas Uke festivals a couple of times and he is a great teacher.  He is in demand for workshops around the world.  Now that he is a retired AF pilot, he has time to enjoy his passion for the uke.

Here is a small video on some basic right hand technique (plus some more fancier stuff)

It does not take a genius to play the ukulele.  Need proof?

Lessons at Saied Music April 20

The folks at Saied Music at 32nd and Yale have arranged for Rex to teach a workshop for the ukulele.  This lesson will be at 1PM on Saturday April 20.

So if you know of anyone who might be interested, let them know about it and they can contact Saied for a slot in the program.  Please note that this workshop is not just for raw beginners.

It is my understanding that some instruments will be available for use during the program and that passout material will be provided.  I also think that there is no age restriction, but best check with Saied on any minimum age for youth.

We know that Rex can do a great job so pass the word.

Ralph

Another one

Here is another one of Rex's videos


http://goanimate.com/videos/0wJDkV-JHmMY/1

Gals,this is for you

Gals, this is for you.


http://goanimate.com/videos/0Gt5qskNXGi4/1

Good information for the beginner

Mike Lynch has a nice video that he prepared several years ago on some basics on how to finger chords.  There is some good basic information here, including the need to keep the thumb behind the neck to keep the pressure on the strings.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pJme1gtN1SM#at=90

May schedule

Greetings.  I know it may be a bit far ahead for some of you, but the calendar for the month of May demanded that we change the dates for the meetings at the NYC Pizza shop from the 1st and 3rd Thursdays to the 2nd and 4th Thursdays.  I have changed the club calendar posted in out blog and web page to match the changes.  This change will give us one meeting a week instead of jammng two meetings into one week.